Vehicle cabin front portion structure

Abstract

A vehicle cabin front portion structure has a steering column of a vehicle, an instrument panel in which a face blowout port is formed further toward a vehicle transverse direction outer side than the steering column, an air conditioner main body that is provided within the instrument panel, further toward a vehicle transverse direction central side than the steering column, a knee airbag device that is disposed at a vehicle lower side of the steering column, and that inflates and deploys a knee airbag toward a vehicle lower side of the instrument panel, and a face duct that extends from the air conditioner main body to the face blowout port via a route that passes a vehicle rear side of the knee airbag device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicle cabin front portion structure, comprising:
 a steering column of a vehicle; 
 an instrument panel in which a face blowout port is formed further toward a vehicle transverse direction outer side than the steering column; 
 an air conditioner main body that is provided, within the instrument panel, further toward a vehicle transverse direction central side than the steering column; 
 a knee airbag device that is disposed at a vehicle lower side of the steering column, and that inflates and deploys a knee airbag toward a vehicle lower side of the instrument panel; and 
 a face duct that extends from the air conditioner main body to the face blowout port via a route that passes a vehicle rear side of the knee airbag device. 
 
     
     
       2. The vehicle cabin front portion structure of  claim 1 , further comprising a foot duct that extends from the air conditioner main body toward a vehicle front side of the knee airbag device. 
     
     
       3. The vehicle cabin front portion structure of  claim 2 , wherein the steering column has a reaction motor that is disposed at a vehicle upper side of the foot duct. 
     
     
       4. The vehicle cabin front portion structure of  claim 1 , wherein an opening portion, through which the steering column is inserted, is formed in the instrument panel, and a gap is formed between a lower surface of a column cover of the steering column and a lower edge portion of the opening portion, and a portion of the face duct is interposed between the gap and the knee airbag device. 
     
     
       5. The vehicle cabin front portion structure of  claim 1 , wherein a region of the instrument panel, which is at a vehicle rear side of the knee airbag device, is an inclined wall that is inclined so as to slope upwardly toward a vehicle rear side, and a rear wall of the face duct, which faces the inclined wall from a vehicle front side, is inclined so as to run along the inclined wall. 
     
     
       6. The vehicle cabin front portion structure of  claim 1 , wherein the face duct has an extended portion that extends toward a vehicle upper side of the knee airbag device. 
     
     
       7. The vehicle cabin front portion structure of  claim 5 , wherein a length direction intermediate portion of the face duct is structured by:
 an upper wall that extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction as seen from a vehicle transverse direction; 
 the rear wall, which extends from a rear end of the upper wall at an incline toward a vehicle lower side and a vehicle front side; and 
 a front wall that vertically connects a front end of the upper wall and a front end of the rear wall. 
 
     
     
       8. The vehicle cabin front portion structure of  claim 6 , wherein a front wall of the face duct is bent in a shape of a crank as seen from a vehicle transverse direction, such that an upper portion of the front wall of the face duct projects out further toward a vehicle front side than a lower portion of the front wall.